To Somerville, With Love

Last week many of you entered the contest to win two tickets to Somerville Local First’s Harvest Fest by telling us why you love Somerville. And while we could only have one randomly selected winner–congrats Mia Scharphie!–your responses were just too good to be relegated to the comments forever. So today I’m sharing what you wrote, as a sort of love letter to our city.

And remember, even if you didn’t win tickets to Harvest Fest, you can still buy them here. If you love Somerville, you’ll love this event–it’s a true celebration of what makes Somerville so special.

“I just moved to Somerville a few weeks ago. I’m still getting used to my neighborhood, but I’m loving it so far! I’m excited to learn of events like this in the city. There are still so many places I need to venture to. But as of now, I will say that Union Square Donuts is a definite favorite. A trip there is best way to start a lazy weekend afternoon.”–Lesley

“I love the vibrant night life in Davis Square. Johnny D’s Uptown has great food and music. I am a big fan of the Somerville Theater. The September Dog Festival at Trum Field was so much fun. Somerville is just a terrific place for young adults.”-R. Pooley

“The events, great restaurants, great neighborhoods, the responsiveness of Somerville 311 (seriously, you Tweet them about something that needs to be taken care of and they are on it!), what’s there not to love? Also, great beer and cider coming out of Somerville! Aeronaut Brewing and Bantam Cider are just a short walk from each other, and Slumbrew’s brewery is slated to open soon.”–Dan

“I love living in Somerville. I thought moving from the North End to Somerville would feel like I was million miles away from the city. That is not true. It is a lively diverse neighborhood. I get the cute neighborhood feel with the convenience of city living. I love the large number of parks and open spaces. I love that there is always something to do, but most of all I love the diverse selection of food all with in walking distance of my house.”–Melissa

“All of the events in Somerville are great–from Harvest Fest, to the various 5Ks and the upcoming HONK! Festival. There is always something to do!”–Angie

“Top 5 Reasons Why I Love Somerville:
5. You’re never too old to go to prom. (Well, as long as it’s hosted by Somerville Local First, and not the high school.)
4. We put bacon on our doughnuts (thank you, Union Square Donuts).
3. FACT: Davis Square has more ice cream and frozen yogurt per capita than anywhere else in the world. Look it up. (Actually, don’t look it up. Just trust me.)
2. Somerville Theater is the only place I know where I can enjoy a beer during an afternoon matinee without getting the side-eye from my fellow movie-goers.
1. Because Somerville knows that sometimes you have a to take a step back and appreciate the finer things in life. So every September, we all get together and celebrate Fluff! I couldn’t live in a community that takes the gooey white stuff for granted.”–Matt

“A city government that promotes such a positive and progressive culture.”–Andrew

“Love the community and the awesome breweries (Pretty Things, Slumbrew and Bantam, to name a few!).”–Jenny

“Love the variety Somerville has to offer, spanning from the people to the restaurants to the activities. Keep it up!”–Jason

“The cheese fritters at Highland Kitchen are the most delicious food item on Earth. Reason enough to live in Somerville.”–mskissel

“I love the Farmer’s Market and the great community wide events!”–RJohl

“Even though I live in Cambridge, I love Somerville. From farmer’s markets (winter and summer!) to the booze (from places like Ball Square Fine Wines, to the Burren, to Bantam Cider), to all the lively festivals, there’s more fun to be had than there is time to have fun!”–Allison

“I love all the events in Somerville! Also I feel like any interest I have is covered in terms of clubs and meet ups. Also love exploring the areas restaurant scene!”–Coral

“Somerville has changed a lot for the better since I moved here in 2004. Davis Square is a vibrant, young, fun place now as opposed to the dreary, depressing one of the early 2000s. The plethora of ethnic restaurants, coffee shops, bars, events, and the diversity make Somerville one of the best towns in Massachusetts!”–Nabil

“My favorite things about living in Somerville are the Davis Flea, Flatbread Pizza, famers markets and free music and events at Assembly Square.”–Ally

“I love everything about Someville! I miss living in Davis Sq, going for long runs outside, and going to Blue Shirt Cafe way too often.”–Ashley

“I love Somerville because of the wonderful community, especially for the arts! Somerville Open Studios is one of the best weekends of the year, HONK! in Davis Square, and all of the wonderful local events at the Armory (where I also get to get married!).”–Sara

“Visiting Union Square (Bloc 11 Cafe, Union Square Donuts, Bow St Yoga) and the amazing weekend farmer’s market where there was the freshest of food & locally bottled mead WAS the reason I moved to across the country from NC to Somerville!”–Margaux

“The community. I just moved here a few weeks ago, and I’ve never met a nicer group of people who are so excited to share their city with everyone else–I’m happy to be a part of it now!”–Jenny

“My favorite thing is the Somerville Beat because it lets me know about all the events going on around Somerville! Aside from that, I love that the whole city is focused on progress & community. It’s an amazing feeling to be surrounded by people that seem to really care about where they live & how they can better things.”–Gailyn

“Highland Kitchen is my happy place where everyone knows my name (and I can get the world’s best Buffalo Brussels sprouts).”–Sarah

Thanks again to everyone who entered the contest! And remember that if you love Somerville, you should definitely be attending Harvest Fest this Saturday. Tickets are available here.

Welcome to the Beat

After chronicling Somerville from a local perspective for three years, Founder Elyse Andrews has embarked on a new chapter of her career. Here you'll find her 600-plus stories about Somerville as well as some updates about ongoing projects.